Fueling the advance in gasoline futures, short traders may have been caught with their pants down and scrambled to cover their positions, which further supported the gasoline market.

Traditionally, a popular seasonal trade in the oil market has been to short gasoline futures and take long diesel positions in expectations that diesel would strengthen on heating demand during winter, write David Sheppard and Anjli Raval for Financial Times.

On the other hand, gasoline demand has been surprisingly strong. The falling crude oil prices have also pressured gas prices at the pump, adding to greater sales for gas-guzzling SUVs and longer road trips, Bloomberg reported.

“People are taking to the roads with abandon,” John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital LLC, told Bloomberg. “We’re also seeing a switch to larger cars, with trucks making a bigger share of new car sales.”